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UPDATE: Helicopter over southwest West Seattle; police in Upper Fauntleroy (info added Thursday)

6:34 AM: Thanks for the tips. A helicopter’s been over Gatewood/Fauntleroy a while, but not showing on radar. A reader who heard what sounded like a flashbang said 911 told them there’s a warrant service in the vicinity. We’re working to find out more.

6:41 AM: Multiple texters say they’re seeing police on the ground at a location in Upper Fauntleroy.

7:29 AM: Multiple readers report the location is on 38th SW between Trenton and Henderson. We went through a short time ago and noticed SPD and WSP vehicles still in the vicinity, at the Trenton end.

9:26 AM: SPD’s media office says it has no information on the operation, at least so far. We’re trying other agencies too, and will update here if/when we find out anything.

11:25 AM: Still trying – warrant operations tend to be notoriously difficult to get information about, until/unless court cases result. King County Sheriff’s Office says the helicopter was NOT Guardian One, which often supports other law-enforcement agencies including SPD, but, a KCSO spokesperson tells us, was not flying in support of anything this morning.

5:05 PM: The business day has ended without any additional information emerging; the State Patrol neither responded to nor acknowledged our inquiry. So it’s a mystery for now, but we’re not giving up.

ADDED THURSDAY MORNING: The WSP tells us this was a DEA-led operation. We have an inquiry out to the local DEO office to see if they are able to tell us anything more.

35 Replies to "UPDATE: Helicopter over southwest West Seattle; police in Upper Fauntleroy (info added Thursday)"

  • Lisa February 11, 2025 (6:39 am)

    I heard 2 loud bangs around 6:03 and then another one about 3 minutes later. In north arbor heights coming from the north. 

  • Linds February 11, 2025 (6:43 am)

    Also heard two loud bangs at about 6 am.  Located in arbor heights.  Helicopter circling since then and maybe earlier. Seems to have left just now at 6:40.

  • Amy Morgan February 11, 2025 (6:45 am)

    It was 8816 38 th ave SW. I live down the street. Cop cars and 2 SWAT vehicles. Kept saying “come out with your hands up we have a search warrant “. Everyone is gone now

    • Neighbor February 11, 2025 (7:22 am)

      That house has been a rental for the last several months. The owner was tired of the construction next door. Or perhaps the previous residents were also tenants?

  • DRW February 11, 2025 (6:46 am)

    Glad to hear it was a helicopter. I thought I was hearing another loud generator coming from the RVs at 18th and Henderson.

  • Bender February 11, 2025 (6:48 am)

    What about car sized drone south delridge for least hour? 

    • Gg February 11, 2025 (6:58 am)

      How did it look? Could you see it or just its lights in the dark? 

      • Bender February 11, 2025 (7:26 am)

        It seemed to be square in shape doing same pattern over & over. 

  • Neighbor February 11, 2025 (6:57 am)

    It was in the 8800 block of 38th. Police and two swat vans three loud explosions (flash or tear gas?) They walked one person out and to a trouper car and have cleared out of the area.

  • Nick February 11, 2025 (6:59 am)

    I was enjoying my morning coffee when I heard a loud bang and police speaking over a megaphone. Took a peek outside (I live on 39th) and saw a helicopter flying directly over a house right up the hill on 38th Avenue and Henderson. I heard at least two more bangs and the police repeating something about having a warrant and demanding that someone step outside the house with their hands above their head. I had to leave for work but there were about 8-10 of what looked like SWAT vehicles in front of a house on the east side of the road. One vehicle with two officers in gear was on Henderson.

    • Nick February 11, 2025 (7:23 am)

      Realizing 8-10 vehicles is probably an exaggeration. That’s what it looked like in the dark.

      • WiseWoman February 11, 2025 (10:54 am)

        Not exaggerated most likely a risk assessment bc of the alleged crime. 

        • Nick February 11, 2025 (2:48 pm)

          Apologies – I meant that I was exaggerating what I saw.

  • Grilled Cheese February 11, 2025 (7:19 am)

    I could here the chopper from 35th and Holdon. It woke me from my peacful sleep. I wonder who was in trouble. Must have been a bad dude. More info would be nice. 

  • Lola February 11, 2025 (7:36 am)

    We live over on 50th & Alaska and we could hear and see the helicopter this morning.  I knew to ck. the Blog for what might be up. I wonder why they needed a helicopter to serve a warrant?  Or did they think they might run?  

    • k February 11, 2025 (7:49 am)

      Helicopter could be news, not police.

      • WSB February 11, 2025 (9:20 am)

        No, it wasn’t the TV chopper – they always show on tracker, and the one shared chopper that’s left in this market is generally not up at that hour. Guardian One wasn’t in service when I went off watch at 2:30 am – they’d asked in relation to a different precinct – but there are other possibilities …

        • TheOtherK February 11, 2025 (4:27 pm)

          DHS had a helicopter leave Bellingham Airport just before 5AM and turn off its tracker near Paine Field. It could have landed in Everett and be totally unrelated. It didn’t reappear until around 10-11 when it turned the tracker back on over Skagit Regional. It then flew back to Bellingham. 

  • Neighbor February 11, 2025 (8:30 am)

    Does anyone know how to look up what the warrant was about? 

  • Bill February 11, 2025 (9:04 am)

    Is anyone sure it was 8816 38th? I have walked (my dogs) on that block for years and the occupants at that address are (were?) a young couple with a young daughter….she would say “hi” while we were walking by. They put a lot of money into that house so I know they aren’t renters. She even related that they were okay with the construction next door as “they had been through it before”. On the other side of the construction, though, at 8830 38th  Ave SW, I’ve never seen anyone in regard to that house’s occupants. 

  • Neighbor February 11, 2025 (9:26 am)

    Bill-That family moved out about a year ago when the construction started and a renter was living there. The police were definitely at that house walking someone out this morning.

    • bill February 11, 2025 (9:48 am)

      got it…that. explains why I haven’t seen them on my walks lately. A sad situation.

  • Neighbor! February 11, 2025 (10:47 am)

    I’m a neighbor. No one knows anything. The occupants were handcuffed and led out after the SWAT flash bangs. They held them in State Patrol vehicles at the top of the hill while about 4-6 investigators went through the house and car. Then they took the car away. They also let the two occupants go shortly after and they walked back to their house and went inside. The police would only say it was an investigation. But they definitely said “come out with your hands up” and “we have a warrant.” At one point they even flew a drone over the house. But I never saw a helicopter. The couple have always been super nice to us. I hope it was just a mix up or something.

  • Neighbor February 11, 2025 (12:06 pm)

    The people who live there were just held for hours in a patrol car and then returned to their home. How scary for them they’re embarrassed and apologizing to neighbors. Was this a mistake!?! It seems like a huge one! Thank you blog for looking for the warrant info.

    • WSB February 11, 2025 (12:12 pm)

      Don’t know yet which was the lead agency on this. The only vehicles left when I passed through at the very end were marked SPD and WSP. If anyone saw other agencies’ logos, please let us know (you can email or text us if you don’t want to comment here) because that could help tremendously.

      • Neighbor February 11, 2025 (1:33 pm)

        We only saw SPD and WSP. 

  • H2OK9 February 11, 2025 (2:15 pm)

    Thanks for the update.This went on for so long I thought that someone had fallen off of a boat !

  • Darren February 11, 2025 (5:39 pm)

    💥 Quite a wakeup call 🤣

  • SleeplessInWS February 11, 2025 (6:26 pm)

    Thank you WSB again for keeping us informed!!! I live in Gatewood, woken up early by the helicopter noise and got increasingly worried when it continued for so long and I could not find any local news reports on what was going on. 

  • Neighbor R February 11, 2025 (9:25 pm)

    Hey,not sure if it’s the same thing but hear the cop cars again.

  • Ga Lam February 11, 2025 (9:41 pm)

    It’s baaack. 9:40 pm…

  • Cj February 11, 2025 (9:43 pm)

    Helicopter is flying around west Seattle again. Couldn’t make out what announcement they were playing.

  • Morgan February 11, 2025 (9:47 pm)

    There’s been another helicopter circling a neighborhood near the Morgan junction for about 40 minutes now, with some interesting muffled but really loud broadcasting sound. Freaked me out at first, now I’ve just been watching it circle. Some sirens too. Interesting!

    • WSB February 11, 2025 (10:10 pm)

      We covered that separately, see top story on the main page.

  • Erika February 15, 2025 (9:34 am)

    Not sure if anyone is back in the house but saw a cat in the window. Hoping someone has access to take care of the kitty in case the owner isn’t back in the house. 

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